Bank account set for ‘In God’ signs

A group of local residents have set up a bank account for residents to fund the “In God We Trust” signs at the Anderson County Courthouse and General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge.

Donna Smith/Staff

A group of local residents have set up a bank account for residents to fund the “In God We Trust” signs at the Anderson County Courthouse and General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge.

If they collect enough, they also plan to pay for adding Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Ward’s name to the veterans memorial outside the Courthouse. Ward, an Oak Ridge resident, was killed earlier this month in Afghanistan.

Once collected, the private funds will be donated to the county to pay for the signs and their installation and supporting the veteran memorials in Anderson County.

People can donate funds to TnBank, 900 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Make checks payable to the “In God We Trust Memorial Fund.” Organizers said in a news release that no donation is too small.

For more information about this effort, contact Lynn Byrge at active_electric@yahoo.com or call him at (865) 748-6906.

The county had estimated that the four black granite with gold lettering signs at the Courthouse will cost approximately $4,000. Then, a request by General Sessions Court Judge Ron Murch to have a metal “In God We Trust” sign on the door at his court in Oak Ridge was approved last week by the Anderson County Commission, which could make the cost slightly higher.

County Mayor Terry Frank said adding Sgt. Ward’s name to the veterans memorial will cost $265 to $300, which the Veterans Service Office has available, but the citizens said they would like to pay for it.

People can also make donations to the Anderson County Budget Office in the Anderson County Courthouse, a method which had been voted upon by the Anderson County Commission. Contacted by this newspaper, Mayor Frank said she was aware of the citizens’ effort to get the money together and give it to the Budget Office. She said she thinks they are trying to simplify the effort and want an easier way to keep track of how much is being raised instead of having to frequently contact the county Budget Office for updates.

County Budget Director Chris Phillips said people can make donations in his office by cash or check and they will get a receipt. He said he’d prefer people donate the money to the TnBank account, but they can make donations also at the Courthouse.

It took five meetings for the Anderson County Commission to approve adding the motto to the exterior doors of the Courthouse and then agreeing upon the type of sign. At each meeting, commissioners and residents debated the issue of placing the “national motto,” placing another motto or a mix of four separate messages above the doors.

Last week, the issue was finally decided with 14 of the 16 commissioners voting in favor of the black-and-gold signs and two commissioners from Oak Ridge abstaining from the vote.